The City of Centralia is preparing to address the presence of substances often called forever chemicals in drinking water as federal and state governments move to enforce strict limits on them.
Centralia Public Works Director Andy Oien and Water Operations Manager Chris Stone spoke to the Centralia City Council Tuesday evening to discuss ways to keep Centralia’s drinking water as clean as possible and meet new state standards around PFAS in drinking water.
PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a group of man-made chemicals that do not break down easily in nature.
The new standards are set to be implemented by 2029. The city is currently compliant with any limits, but the new criteria is much more stringent.
“Centralia's municipal water supply remains within current health standards. We are not exceeding state action levels currently,” Oien said.
The chemicals, which have been widely used in certain products from aerospace fire gel and retardants to non-stick teflon pans, have become widespread in water and waste in the United States.
According to Oien and Stone, one of the city’s two well fields — one located in the Fords Prairie neighborhood — could be just above the state limits expected to go into effect in 2029.
According to the local experts, the new standards are more stringent than any other contaminant limit. Many contaminants are measured in parts per million, and some of the more dangerous materials — arsenic, lead and uranium — are measured in parts per billion. PFAS are measured in parts per trillion.
Currently, different types of PFAS are limited to 10 or 15 parts per trillion. But after a change in federal guidelines set by the Environmental Protection Agency last year, the state will soon enforce a limit of four parts per trillion on the most frequently monitored PFAS chemicals.
Still working to conceptualize the new standards during the meetings, Stone attempted to help others visualize how small the measurement of parts per trillion truly is using a comparison to time.
“One second out of 32,000 years is one part per trillion,” Stone said. “I just thought that was a way to wrap your head around it because it still kind of baffles me just trying to imagine parts per trillion.”
The Fords Prairie well field is averaging slightly above the four parts per trillion criteria, likely due to the prevalence of septic tanks in the area, but the city’s tennis court well field near Fort Borst Park is much lower.
The officials believe that there are additional wells in that area and by pumping more water from the existing tennis court well, they can limit exposure to PFAS and be compliant with the state standards.
Oien added that the redevelopment of the Fort Borst Park well field in the area has long been planned by the city, even before PFAS became a concern, and will likely be funded in part by state grants.
Stone believes it could also help with ongoing concerns over nitrate contamination in the Fords Prairie neighborhood.
“That'll give us a redundant facility,” Stone said. “But then you're also just putting that much more good water in with your high testing PFAS and nitrate water.”
That project is expected to cost as much as $8.35 million in initial costs and an additional $300,000 a year to operate.
Concerns around PFAS have become increasingly prevalent in recent years, with the federal government announcing a transition to the four parts per trillion standard back in 2024.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, PFAS exposure is still being researched, but studies thus far suggest the chemicals could contribute to reduced fertility, increased risk of cancer and weakened immunity to disease.
During the meeting, Oien referenced the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) when adding that most people already have the chemicals in their blood.
“They have made their way around the globe,” Oien said. “They consider 99% of Americans have detectable levels of PFAS in their blood, and nearly half of the United States tap water contains one or more types of PFAS.”
Forever chemicals have also become a hot topic in Washington state. During the 2025 state legislative session, 19th District state Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, with support from a list of other lawmakers, championed a bill to institute testing biosolids often used as fertilizer for crops for PFAS contamination.
On a more local level, Oien added that locals seeking to avoid contact with PFAS can do so by paying attention to the products they use. Consumers can avoid rain jackets, non-stick pans and other materials that might increase their exposure to the forever chemicals.
“Your eggs might not be beautiful, but you know what? You're not going to have Teflon or PFAS in your bloodstream,” Oien said. “That's a win.”
